Feature article

2020, the year in review

A snapshot of listing performance, audience behaviour, and interesting insights.

From a flat market at the beginning of the year, to lows and uncertainty around lockdown, and then record highs come Spring — 2020 was certainly a rollercoaster of a year!

Kiwi’s passion for property shone through, with buyers and sellers more active and engaged than ever. Despite the market coming to a halt in March and the general election in October, by the end of 2020 email enquiries were up a massive 67%, watchlist adds were up 27% and listing views were up 12% on the previous year. Alongside this, median days on site were also down 18% on the previous year.*

So, as we enter 2021, let's take a look at how 2020 ended...

12,368 residential for sale agents listed a property onsite.

  • More properties were listed on Wednesday than any other day.

There was a shortage of housing stock nationwide, with listings down 3%.

  • 129,697 listings advertised onsite.

Our audience was staying on-site for longer, and interacting with your listings more frequently – meaning you achieved maximum buyer engagement for your vendors.

  • 477,319,604 listing views.
  • 25,454,952 watchlist adds.
  • 1,376,700 email enquiries.
  • 4,603,539 phone reveals.
  • 46 median days on site.
  • 203,338 saved search email subscriptions.
  • More Trade Me members viewed property on Wednesdays than any other day.
  • More property listings were viewed on Sunday than any other day.

Kiwi's continue to be a nation obsessed with property...

  • The most viewed property of the year was Jonah Lomu’s former mansion.

... and love a good garage.

  • The most searched keyword for the year was ‘garage’.

Auctions made a bit of a come back, but are yet to take back the top spot.

  • The most common sale format on site was asking price.
  • The least common sale format on site was tender.

Despite COVID-19, the average listing price was up 15% nationwide compared to 2019.

  • The average property listing price for Auckland was $967,616.
  • The average property listing price for Wellington was $695,428.
  • The average property listing price for Christchurch was $517,297.
*Trade Me Property site statistics, residential for sale and new homes, 1 January 2020 - 31 December 2020.
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